​Lotus brought the party to a packed house at The Independent last night for the first night of a 2 show run. The “jamtronica” group who are no strangers to the stage after touring for 15+ years had a commanding presence over The Independent and made the intimate venue feel like a stadium rock show with their impeccable light setup and massive sound. Lotus dove straight into things opening their first set with “Grayrigg.” Mike Rempel’s soaring guitar filled The Independent and set the tone for the night, it didn’t matter that it was a Wednesday… Lotus came to play.

Throughout the night Lotus demonstrated its mastery of a multitude of genres and sounds. It was fascinating to try and identify all of the influences that went into their unique sound. While rock n’ roll is certainly the backbone of the group you could hear inspiration being pulled from jazz, funk, hip hop, house, dubstep, and even techno at some times. It was not surprising to hear of the band’s affinity towards: Aphex Twin, Kraftwerk, and Air!

Lotus opened up the second set a bit calmer than their first with their dreamy synth infused “Spiritualize.” Appropriately named, the crowd floated along to the spiritual trance inducing sound before switching gears to a personal favorite of the night, “Sleep When We Are Dead.” There is something so catchy about the surf rock chorus that just makes you want to raise your hands and belt out the lyrics before diving right back into dancing.

Lotus has built their name on word of mouth and their unique sound. With a discography of over 10 albums and an expert command over so many genres it is easy to see how they have been drawing crowds for 18 years. With no 2 shows alike Lotus promises to be a fresh and unique experience every time. I know that I’ll be heading back for round 2 tonight!